1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to buildings having precast modular floor, wall, and roof members which may be assembled to provide a load bearing shell for a building having the interior and exterior appearance of conventional construction.
2. Background
Various efforts have been made to provide prefabricated buildings, particularly of a type suited as single and multi-family dwellings. Efforts to develop prefabricated housing utilizing wall panels and roof trusses manufactured of conventional building materials and using conventional construction have not been entirely satisfactory and, in order to manufacture components which may be easily assembled at the building site and provide modular designs, the finished appearance of the building is often compromised. Moreover, the manufacture of prefabricated buildings using conventional materials and construction methods has not been particularly cost effective.
There has been a longfelt desire to develop prefabricated building structures, including types suited for single and multifamily residential dwellings as well as low rise commerical buildings, wherein preconstructed wall panels and roof members are utilized and are assembled at the building site to form a shell or enclousre which may be finished out to give the appearance of a conventionally constructed building. The disadvantages of prior art prefabricated building structure include the lack of a suitable prefabricated roof member which incorporates the structural features of the truss, rafters, purlins, cornice and soffit into a single member as well as provide a roof covering which has suitable insulating characteristics. Another disadvantage of most types of prefabricated buildings resides in the fact that interior walls are typically load bearing, particularly if the structure is preassembled in modules at the factory or at the building site and assembled on a foundation. However, the disadvantages and unattractive features of prior art prefabricated buildings and, particularly, prior art types utilizing conventional framing materials and methods have been overcome with the prefabricated building in accordance with the present invention.